The invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining by means of a single metering device the individual flow rates of the phases in a two-phase medium, said phases flowing simultaneously through a pipe or tube.
The method of the invention is based upon generating a centripetal force in said medium in a portion of the pipe and sensing said centripetal force as a difference in pressure between at least two locations of the pipe by means of a pressure transducer.
A second method for sensing said centripetal force is measuring the absolute pressure at each of two locations of the pipe by means of a pressure transducer and subsequently determining the difference between said absolute pressures.
Centripetal forces in a pipe may be generated by guiding the flow stream through a curved portion of the pipe, for example a 90.degree. or 180.degree. bend in the pipe. Another possibility of generation of such forces is by using a cyclone through which the medium is passed. Flow meters based upon measurement of centripetal forces are generally known; they are well-proven and give reliable results in case of single phase flow monitoring.